The Bear is built, at last! It's been a difficult one this year as the straw is getting shorter. We have tried to grow our own in the past but failed miserably. Thatching straw can be used but it tends to be too stiff and brittle. Oat straw is the best but we cannot get hold of any easily so we have to rely on wheat straw generously donated by a local farmer.
As far as a lady driver is concerned, I would not imagine in these enlightened times, this would cause any consternation. We have had a girl in the little bear before and no one bothered then. Yes it will be difficult for Megan to drive the beast especially as it's weight is considerably greater than in other years in view of the extra layers but it she is an experienced dancer and I am sure she will prevail. A female driver does not seem to bother our German counterparts who regularly use girls or ladies for the job, after all the bear is an entity in its self the driver only provides the mobility.
Access to Whittlesey is still restricted at the moment . The northern route over the Whittlesey wash is still closed due to flooding. The area is designed to flood to save further problems towards Wisbech. Hopefully the road will be clear by Straw Bear Day and the railway crossing over the A605 behaves it's self.
As always now there are still tickets available for the ticket events, gone are the days when we used to sell out in October. Ah well , back to the garage as there are little bears to make.Oh, by the way treewind is correct, Rattlebone and Ploughjack was my introduction to Straw Bears and the rest as they say is history.
Gan canny,
Brian